Saturday update: James adamant he has yet to make decision

The Ducks were inside the Moshofsky Center for a practice in shells late this morning, after which LaMichael James held his sole meeting with local media prior to the team's holiday break.

James was of course asked about reports this week that he's made the decision to skip his senior season and enter the draft following the Rose Bowl.

"There's really nothing going on," James said. "I don't really know what happened with that deal. But I know my family called me, like, 'You declared for the draft?' I think it's kind of an unfair statement for somebody to go out and say something I didn't say. If coach Cam didn't say it — because I trust him with everything — than nobody really knows what's happening, because if I'm going to tell somebody something I'm going to do, it' s going to be him.

"And, I mean, I haven't discussed that. And I haven't discussed that with my family. And I really don't think about that. The thing I'm thinking about now is winning the game on Jan. 2. And that's everything I'm trying to do. As far as my future, that's not important. It's really irrelevant for me right now. Some of my family's calling me, like, 'You declared?' I'm like, 'No, what are you talking about?' 'You're on ESPN.' I'm like, 'For what?' 'Well, they said this.'

"Well, it's what I say. And if I say that I haven't done that, then that's what I did."

Coach Cam is obviously running backs coach Gary Campbell, who said the plan has been for James to wait until after the Rose Bowl.

"I don't want to make a decision or an announcement right now," James said. "My future is irrelevant right now. Come Jan. 3, then it will be relevant. Then my season will be over. But I owe it to my teammates and my fans and the coaches to think about (the Rose Bowl) right now, and that's my most important goal right now."

Safety John Boyett declined to say whether he was another of the handful of players who requested an NFL draft evaluation, but he said he plans to return for his senior season. Ditto junior guard Carson York, who had the paperwork for requesting an evaluation but didn't submit it.

"I don't want official documentation telling me I suck," York joked.

Today's practice kicked off a five-day stretch of practices prior to the holiday break that the Ducks will treat like a normal game week. The exceptions will be the final two practices, Tuesday and Wednesday; usually those would be like walk-through days, on Thursdays and Fridays during the season, but the Ducks will hold fuller practices this week.

On the injury front, receiver Keanon Lowe still has a small cast on the right hand he injured in the Civil War, causing him to miss the title game. I know he hopes to play in the bowl game, but whether he's able to remains to be seen.